


Anomalous

by micehell



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: M/M, PWP-ish, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-28
Updated: 2005-03-28
Packaged: 2017-11-12 04:08:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/486513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/micehell/pseuds/micehell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trip winds up with an unexpected ability</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anomalous

It was another anomaly, and one that might have passed by without anyone noticing, except that it affected Trip in a rather strange way.

::::::::::

Trip shook his head, trying to clear away the sudden dizziness. He staggered, but was kept from falling by Malcolm’s strong hands. The hallway before him zoomed in and out, then righted itself as the spell passed.

“Are you all right?” Malcolm had the little furrow in his brow that said he was worried even if his voice didn’t give it away.

Trip smiled. “Sure, just a little head rush.”

Malcolm hesitated. “If you’re sure, then…” He paused, waiting for Trip to respond. ‘Maybe I should take him to see Phlox.’

Trip shook his head. “I don’t need to see Phlox, I feel just fine.”

Malcolm looked a little confused, but nodded his head and continued down the corridor. ‘I’m getting too predictable if Trip can tell what I’m thinking.’

A chuckle. “Ah, Malcolm, in some ways you’re predictable, but you still manage to surprise me on a fairly regular basis.”

Trip found himself walking alone, and looked back to where Malcolm had stopped.

Malcolm was shaking his head, looking very confused now. “How did you…? That was what I was thinking, but I didn’t…”

Now Trip was confused. “You didn’t what?”

“I didn’t say it out loud.” Malcolm stopped talking, but looked straight at Trip, obviously still trying to say something. ‘Can you hear what I’m thinking?’

Dizzy again, and not a little scared, Trip replied, “Yeah, I can.”

::::::::::

Phlox was flummoxed. “I have no idea. He’s never shown any signs of being telepathic before. Still, this could be some latent ability surfacing due to… well, I have no idea about that either.”

Trip had been bored out of his fear by the sheer number of tests that had been conducted, and by the amount of times he’d heard Phlox say that he had no idea. “Well, if you’ve run out of ways to examine me, maybe you could just let me go. I’m tired, and I’d like to go to my quarters.”

But Archer hadn’t had to sit through all of the tests, and he was still fascinated by the whole thing. “Why isn’t he reading everyone’s thoughts if he’s telepathic? Why just Malcolm?”

Phlox shook his head. “I have no idea,” he said, while Trip mouthed the words along with him. “Perhaps it’s because the ability manifested itself while he was with the Lieutenant. Or perhaps it’s because of their relationship. If they had let me observe them more, as I had requested, then I might have a base for comparison to see how the relationship has changed. As it is, I can only speculate.”

Malcolm, standing as far away from Trip as the room allowed, immediately had an image come to mind of one of his and Trip’s more intimate moments being critiqued by a watching Phlox, which caused both him and Trip to blush.

Seeing the blush on both their faces, Archer laughed. “Not always good to know what someone else is thinking, is it, Trip?”

Which didn’t help Trip’s blush fade in the least. Ignoring it, he tried for a quiet dignity. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Captain.” It was a good effort, and Trip might have pulled it off if his voice hadn’t cracked in the middle of it.

Archer smiled at him, letting his concern for his friend override his natural inclination to tease him. He turned back to Phlox. “Well, can you speculate if there’s any danger to Trip in this?”

Phlox shook his head. “Not that I can see. The Commander seems to be perfectly healthy, except for the anomalous, person-limited telepathy. I’ll continue to look into this, of course, but there’s no reason for him to stay here in the meantime.”

Jumping off the biobed and grabbing Malcolm by the arm, Trip fled the room before anyone could say anything else.

::::::::::

 

Back in his quarters, Trip was pacing. “Well, this sucks. I don’t know what’s worse, being worried over what’s happening, or being worried over what Phlox will decide to do next.”

Malcolm smiled brightly. Well, really, Malcolm tried to smile brightly, but it wasn’t one of his best attempts. “I’m sure Phlox will figure something out.” ‘Hopefully.’

Trip frowned at Malcolm. “Well, that was really helpful. You’d make a great morale officer.”

Malcolm pulled himself up, his whole body tensing. “I was just trying to be optimistic. You’re the one who always wants me to see the silver lining rather than the cloud.” ‘You’re the one who’s always trying to change me.’

Trip felt as if he’d been slapped. “Is that what you think? That I’m trying to change you? I say I love you every single day, and I almost never get it said back, but do I complain? No. Why? Because I love you. Even with all of your faults.”

Malcolm tensed further, getting angry, but then sighed. ‘He’s right.’ “I’m sorry. I know it bothers you that I don’t say ‘I love you’ enough, and that’s something I really should work on. But I sometimes get the feeling that you want me to be someone else. Someone who’s more outgoing. Someone who’s… perkier.”

Trip shook his head, the image of a perky Malcolm diffusing his irritation. He also knew that Malcolm had a point. He did sometimes try to get Malcolm to be more like… well, him, and that wasn’t fair. Nor was it fair that he’d listened in on Malcolm’s thoughts. He knew he wouldn’t like it if someone could hear some of his. “Nah, you’re right. I shouldn’t be complaining about your thoughts, when they’re supposed to be private.”

Malcolm smiled. He pulled Trip into a tight embrace. “I do love you.” ‘More than anything.’

And how could Trip argue with that? “Me, too. More than anything.”

Malcolm continued to hold Trip, letting his hands roam over his back. And ass. His thoughts became somewhat less comforting and somewhat more licentious.

Trip kissed him, shifting in his arms, bringing their cocks into contact, causing both of them to harden further. “I don’t want to think about anything right now except you. Make me forget everything else, Malcolm.”

Malcolm pulled Trip’s head to the side, thrusting his tongue in his ear while one hand kneaded his ass. Not wanting to stop what he was doing, he decided to make use of Trip’s new talent. He thought, ‘How’s that working?’

Trip moaned, the tongue in his ear making him crazy. “I don’t know. I can still remember some things, here.”

Malcolm ran his talented tongue down Trip’s throat, lingering over the pulse points. ‘How about now?’

“Guh… well, I might be able to remember something.”

Malcolm nibbled his way back up Trip’s throat. He grabbed his earlobe in his teeth, tugging on it sharply. ‘Forget everything but me.’

Grabbing Malcolm’s hips, Trip ground his erection hard against him. “Is there anyone else but you?”

“Ah, you’ve forgotten everything else, so my work here must be done.”

Trip could hear Malcolm’s laughter, even when he stopped it with a deep, wet kiss. Coming up for air, he pushed Malcolm down onto the bed. “Not quite done.”

He stripped Malcolm out of his uniform with the ease of long practice. He reached in a bedside drawer to pull out the lube. “Why don’t you turn over for me?”

He moved to get off his own uniform. The zipper scraped across his straining flesh, the sting feeling almost unbearably good. He looked over at Malcolm to find him still lying as he was, just staring at Trip.

‘So beautiful. I wish we could just touch sometimes. It doesn’t have to be complicated, and it would feel so good.’

Malcolm gaped, knowing that Trip had heard. “It’s not that I don’t like everything we do, Trip. You know that.”

And Trip did know that. Even when he couldn’t hear it in Malcolm’s mind, he didn’t doubt that he brought his lover pleasure. But he’d always had to guess what it was Malcolm wanted at any given time. Malcolm had such a hard time letting go, saying what it was he needed. Now Trip wouldn’t have to wonder. He’d just know. For the first time, he thought his new ability might be a gift instead of a problem.

Settling on the bed beside him, Trip trailed a hand along Malcolm’s thigh, feeling the muscles twitch in response. His other hand started playing with one of Malcolm’s nipples as he used his tongue to fuck his navel.

Malcolm arched his back, pushing against the soft touches. ‘Harder.’

So Trip scraped his callused hands along Malcolm’s soft flesh, using force and friction to bring a rosy glow to the normally pale skin.

‘Nice.’ Malcolm was feeling good. He reached for Trip, wanting to return the feeling.

Trip grabbed his hands, placing them above Malcolm’s head. “Keep them right there. Let me do this. Just lie back and let me touch you. All you have to do is think about what you want.”

Malcolm looked at him, uncertain for the moment, but kept his hands in place.

Trip went back to his exploration, moving both his hands to play with the hardened nipples.

‘Suck them. Bite them.’ Trip did both, teasing the nubs until they were red, swollen.

Malcolm writhed, pleasure swamping him. “So good.” ‘So good.’

Trip agreed with both words and thought. “Hell, yeah.” His moved a hand down to wrap around Malcolm’s cock, the already leaking head smearing along his arm.

‘Squeeze.’ He squeezed. ‘Tug on my balls.’ Trip tugged. ‘Right there, around the head.’ And Trip ran his thumb around the head with every slick stroke.

Malcolm broke, unable to stop himself from running his hands over his lover, from returning the touches that were burning over his skin.

Trip lost the train of Malcolm’s thoughts in the rush of pleasure, amazed that Malcolm couldn’t read his thoughts considering how good he was at touching Trip just like he wanted.

Everything was swirling around in his head; their thoughts, their arousals, the noises they were making. It was like a flipping symphony. His nerves were singing, Malcolm's cock was thrumming, the bass beats of their hearts marking time with the backbeat of moans, and the lyrical accompaniment of 'fuck, yes.'

And Trip was so close. He was going to, going, coming, came. Both of them screamed, their orgasms like an explosion, with little bits of them littered around the bed.

Trip was fragmented. His thoughts were fragmented. Malcolm’s thoughts were... gone.

No more Malcolm in his head. No more knowing what his reticent lover was thinking, felt. He was cold all of a sudden, a piece gone missing from the blast, a piece that he couldn't have back. But warm lips were on his, warm hands petting his hair. Warm Malcolm beside him, legs entwined. That warmth was always a part of him. He could live without the rest.

He looked into Malcolm’s sated eyes, and couldn’t read his thoughts, but knew just what he was thinking. “I love you, too.”

Malcolm smiled, and they both fell into a contented sleep.

::::::::::

They were walking down the same hallway it had all started in. Phlox had finally let Trip go, after a few more rounds of tests and ‘I don’t know.’ Trip was looking forward to forgetting about the whole thing.

“I don’t know why I had to go through all of that if the end result was just going to be that Phlox doesn’t know.” Ok, maybe he’d whine a little before he forgot all about it.

Malcolm shook his head, walking faster and pulling ahead of him. “How was he supposed to reach any conclusion at all if he didn’t perform tests?”

Trip scowled at his back. “I know that. I just needed to bitch a little.” ‘What, does Malcolm really think I’m that stupid? I swear, sometimes, that he has no respect for me at all.’

Malcolm looked back at him, seeing the expression on his face. All of a sudden Malcolm looked hurt. “How could you think that?”

Trip stared back at him in shock. “Think what?” His eyes grew wide as he realized what Malcolm had said. “No, no, no. Oh, shit. Why do these things always happen to us?”

Malcolm just shook his head, turning his back to Trip, his shoulders starting to quiver.

Trip wrapped his arms around him. “I’m sorry, Malcolm. You know I didn’t mean anything by it. Remember, we talked about this. It’ll take you a little while to get used to it, but then it won’t be so bad. You’ll see.”

Malcolm resisted Trip’s efforts to turn him around, his whole body still shaking.

Trip tried to project how sorry he was at Malcolm, hoping the other man would read the sincerity in his mind. ‘I’m sorry. I love you.’

Whatever response Trip was hoping for, it wasn’t the one he got. Malcolm finally turned around, returning his embrace, laughing madly. Between bits of laughter and gasps for breath, Malcolm managed to say, “You… are so… easy.”

The little bastard had been faking? It was just as well that he couldn’t read Trip’s thoughts right then, because then he really might have been hurt. But as Trip looked at that flushed face, held that quivering body, and had Malcolm’s hot breath panted into his face, his anger started to turn into another emotion altogether. Well, it had been kind of a good joke. He guessed he could give Malcolm that. Among other things.

Malcolm’s laughter trailed off, and he began to look uncertain. “Um, Trip, you do know I was just joking, right?”

Trip nodded, and pulled Malcolm close, rubbing his hardening cock against Malcolm’s leg. “Yeah. But let’s go someplace private, and I’ll show you just how easy I am.”

Malcolm laughed again, and let Trip pull him back to his quarters. They may not have been able to read each other’s minds, but then, they didn’t really need to.

/story


End file.
